Pedal-board and pedal for self-playing pianos or musical instruments.



No. 830,823 PATBNTED SEPT.11, 1906;

W. 1:. COOPER.

PEDAL BOARD'AND PEDAL FOR SELF PLAYING PIANOS OR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. 1905.

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' in sue a manner as to UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F..OOOPER, OF NORWALK, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE A. B.CHASE (30., OF NORWALK, OHIO, A- CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PEDAL-BOARDA N D PEDAL FOR SELF-PLAYING PIANOSDR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1 1, 1906.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. COOPER, acitizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Norwalk, in the county of Huron and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pedal-Boards. andPedals for Self-Playing Pianos or Musical Instruments, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to t eaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inpedal-boards and pedals for musical instruments, and relates moreparticularly to edals adapted to be. used in connection wit bellows formechanically operating a piano or other musical instrument. v A

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a novel form ofpedal board or frame to which the pedals, or treads are hinged, novelmeans being emplo ed in connectionwith the pedal board or frame to lockthe pedals in close proximity to thesame, wherey said board or frame canbe turned u wardly and seated in the front of a piano. n this connectionmy improved pedal board or frame and pedals are particularly adapted forself-playing pianos. In such types of pianos it has been sometimes thecustom to embody the self-playing attachment or feature in connectionwith an ordinary instrument, whereby either maybe used and independentlypresent a neat and attractive ap- To employ pedals in connectionwithpianos of this type various means have been suggested to constructthe pedals within the nstrument in such a manner that eas access may behad to the same when it is esired to operate the instrument as a selfla.er. I have devised suitable means for 01 in the pedal board or frame andpedalsv resent a neat and attractive appearance, it eing im ossible todetect this feature of a self-playing: instrument when embodied in anordinary pianocase.

With these and many other objects in view, which will more readilyappear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the sameconsists in the novel construction, com- A bination, and arrangement ofparts, which will be more fully described, illustrated, and

claimed hereinafter.

tion involved in carrying out the ob'ects above specified arenecessarily susceptib e to structural change without departing from thescope of the invention; but thepreferred embodiments are shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspectiveview The essential features of the present invenof a iano, illustratingmy improved pedalboar in a closed position. Fig. '2 is a similar viewillustrating the board in an open position, the pedals thereof beingpositioned for operation.

Like reference-numerals designate corre-v sponding parts in the severalviews of the drawings.-

To put my invention into practice, I have illustrated a portion of'apiano-namely, the

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a. pedal-board constructed in accordance with-Fig. 4 is a vertical lower front board 1to which my improved pedalboardv or frame and its appurtenant parts are attached. The piano. inconnection withwhich .my improved pedals and pedal board or frame areadapted to be used embodies a self-playing attachment orinstrumentcomprising neu'matics, bellows, a duct-board, a'trackerox, andthe numerous appurtenances common to self-playing in.- struments.

My invention resides in a pedal board or frame and pedals that areadapted to operate the bellows of a self-playing instrument. In

order that my improved pedal board or frame and pedals can beconveniently folded and seated in the front board 1 of a piano, I haveprovided said front board with a recess or concavity 2, which ispreferably located adjacent to theordinary pedals 3 3 of a piano, and Ipivotally mount a pedal board or frame 4, by means of suitab e. hinges 55, in front of. the front board 1. The pedal board or frame issubstantially rectangular in top plan View and corresponds approximatelyto the size or contour of, the recess 2. The

outer or topmost edge of the board or frame 4 is providedwithhinges 66,carrying pedals 7 7. The pedals 7 7 are preferably arranged upon eachside of the board or frame 4, and connected to the same near the endsare pivotally-mOuritedrods 12 12, which have their ends pivotallyconnected to'rods 14 1 4, eX-' tending through vertically-disposed slots15 15, formed in the backing or rear wall 16.

These rods 14 14 are adapted to beconnected' to the mainbellows of aself-playing instrumen-t, and the pedals are adapted to be operated bythe feet of the player.

In order that the pedal boarder frame 4 may be folded upwardlyintothefrecess 2 of the front board, it is necessary that means beemployed for retaining the pedals 7 7 in close engagement with the boardor frame 4, and I have employed novelmeans to accomplish this, saidmeans also serving to facilitate the closing and opening of the boardorframe 4. Centrally upon the board orframe 4 I secure a lockingmechanismconsisting of a stationary plate"17,-carrying guides 18 18',between which is slidably mounted a plate 19, carrying aspring-latchingmember 20'. wardly-extcn'ding arms 21 21 of the member 20are inclined, as indicated at 22, to engage clips or lugs -23- 23,secured to the inner'sides of the pedals 7 7, each lug being formed witha stud 23 to limit the movement of the ends of the spring-latchingmember 20.

The plate 19 is loosely mounted between the guides 18 18, so as topermit-of a slight rocking movement as well as a longitudinalmovementand is pivotally attached at 19 to I a s rin 26, that has one endfastened at 27 to the pedalboard or frame 4, the pivotal attachment ofthe plate 19 to the springpermitting of the rocking movement of theplate above referred to. The spring 26, is curved near the point ofattachment, 27 and is formed with a slot 24,through whichslot a screwpasses, this :screw seating'in the pedal board orframe4 and serving as aguide for thie"'sprmg. h a c.

Under normal wo king conditions the pedals aredepressed aiternately'bythe feet of the operator, and as each pedalapproaches the termination?"its downward stroke the lug or clip .23 comacts with the inclined end22 of the. member 20 and rocks the plate-19,

which is integral with or rigidly attached to member 20 ,onit'spivotalpoint 19, so as'to' throw the inclined 'end out of locking positheoperator until thelugs or clips 23 bot engage the inclined ends of thearms 21 21 of tion. 1 When the board 4 is to be closed, the pedals 7 arepressed down simultaneously by the member 20,. The lugs or clips, bothengaging the inclined ends: of the member 20, cause the plate 19 to moveforwardly a slight 6 5 \distance until the lugs or clips have reachedThe out-' latch 30. a I e To prevent my improvedpedal-boa'rd from in anymanner interfering with the construc-' such-a position as to perinit ofthe lower edges of the ends21 of the member 20 engaging the top surfaceof said lugs or clips. The board or frame 4 can then be swung upwardlyupon the hinges 5 5 into the recess 2, the rods 12 12 swingingdownwardly to the position illustrated in drawings.

To retain the pedal board 01 frame 4 in a closed position, I haveprovided. the outer and upper edge of said board with a plate 29,

carrying an outwardly-extending lug 29, adapted to be engaged by aresilient stripor 'latch 30, which is secured, as indicated at 30",tothe iano-board. This resilient latch dotted lines in Fig. 4' of the isprovided with a depending-lug or tooth- 30", having a beveled surface.When the pedal board or frame is moved upwardly, the lug 29 engagesthe'beveled surface of the toothor lug 30 and elevates the latch untilthe pedal board or frame has ,moved inwardly sufiicient to release thelug or tooth 30 and permit-of the latch returning to its normalposition, firmly'and positively re-.

taining the pedal board or frame in its closed position. a

The rear wall or back of the recess '16 is provided with a plate 31,against which the curved portion of the spring 26 is adapted to engage.The closing of the board or frame 4 causes the curved portion of thespring'26 to engage the plate31 and movethe spring 26 an'dthe plate 19and its latching member 20 sufficiently to release the pedals '7- 7.This is done in order that the pedals 7. 7will assume a position readytobe operated when the board or frame 4 is opened by releasing (the tionor operativeness, of the ordinary footpedals 3 3, I have provided theboard 4 with slots 33 33, through which saidpedals extend when the board4 is in a closed position, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

rio

Fromthe foregoing it will be observed that a I have devised a novel formof pedal board orframe and'pedals for self playing pianos or othermusical instrumentsthat can be opened and closed by the feet alone. Theconstruction which I- have employed in connection with'my improved.pedal board or frame permits of the pedals and their-appurtenant partsbeinglcompletely hidden from view while the piano is being played in theordinary manner and, also presents a neat and attractive appearance whenthe piano is 'not'in use.

Whilel have depended uponthe bellows ofa self-playing piano to retainthe pedals 7 7 in an operative'position, it will of course. be

understood that suitable means may be devised for assisting the bellowsin maintaining the pedals in such position.

It is thought that the construction, operati on, and advantages of theherein-described pedal-board will be apparent without further.

description, and it will be understood that various changes in the form,proportion, and minor details of construction may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope pedals, .alatching member carried bysaid pedal-board and adapted to retain said pedals m a locked position,means to release said pedals from said latching member when said boardis closed, and means to lock saidboand within said recess, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination with the lower front board of a musical instrument,said front board having a recess formed therein, of a pedal board, orframe, hinged at the lower edge of said recess and adapted to foldupwardly into said recess, edals hinged to the upper inner ed e of saidoard, links connected to said pedals and extendin within the instrument,means to hold sai pedals in engagement with said board until the saidboard is closed,-means to release the pedals when the board is closedand means to lock said board within said recess.

3. The combination with the front board of a piano, said front boardhaving a recess formed therein, of a pedal board or frame hingedatthebottom of said recess, pedals hinged to the upper edge of saidboardand adapted to operate mechanism contained within the instrument,- meansto temporarily hold said pedals in engagement with said board, means torelease said pedals, and means to retain said board within said recess,substantially as described.

'4. The combination with the front board of a selfplaying instrument,said front board vertical board, means to hold said board within saidrecess, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a piano-case, said case having a recess formedtherein, of a board or'frame hinged to the case and adapt ed to foldupwardly into said recess, pedals hinged to said board, lockingmechanism carried by said board and consisting of a springpressedlocking member adapted to. engage the confronting edges of said pedalsand temporarily hold said pedals in engagement with .said board, andmeans to hold said board within said recess.

6. The combination with a musical instrument, of aboard adapted to foldupwardly into engagement with said instrument, pedals hinged to saidboard, a locking mechanism carried by said board and consisting of, a resilient member engaging the edals when the latter are depressed and 1101in said pedals in engagement with said board pedals are depressedsimultaneously.

7. The combination with a musical instrument, of 'a pedal-board adaptedto fold against said instrument, pedals hinged to said board, lockingmechanism carried by said board and adapted to temporarily hold saidpedals in engagement with said board.

8. The combination of a musical ll'lStI'llu ment, a pivotally mountedpedal b0ard, or frame, pedals carried b means to temporarily ho (1 saidpedals in en. gagement with said board.

9.v The combination with a piano, of a pedal board, or frame, hinged tosaid piano and adapted to swing outwardly into approxi imately ahorizontal plane in respect to said piano, pedals carried by said board,a locking mechanism adapted to temporarily hold said pedals inengagement with said board, when oth pedals are simultaneouslydepressed, means to retain said board in a substantially osition, andmeans to release said pedals w en said board is so positioned.

10. The combination of a pedal-board,

pedals hinged to said board, and' means to.

ock said pedals in engagement with said board. 1

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

, WILLIAM F. COOPER.

Witnesses:

Jos. B. CoNNoLLY, L. L. Dom).

said board, and,

when both

